History of Reiki

Reiki was re-discovered in the mid-1800s by a Japanese born monk Dr. Mikao Usui. He wanted to re-discover how Jesus and Buddha had healed.

He went to a Zen monastery in Kyoto, he stayed and studied there for some time. He learned Chinese and Sanskrit. It was in the Indian sutras written in Sanskrit that he discovered a formula for connecting to a higher power that could bestow healing. But knowing the formula did not give him the ability to heal, so he travelled to a holy mountain, Mt. Kurama, where he fasted and meditated and followed the directions in the formula for twentyone days.

On the last day he saw a shining light moving towards him. As he looked at the light he realised it had consciousness and was communicating with him. The beam of light struck him and knocked him unconscious. Rising out of his physical body he was shown beautiful bubbles of light filled with colours. In the bubbles were symbols. As he studied each symbol he received an attunement for that symbol and knowledge of its use. In this way he was initiated into the use of the Reiki healing power.

Dr. Usui practised and taught Reiki throughout Japan for the remainder of his life. Before his transition in 1930 he gave the master attunement to sixteen teachers and from them Reiki has spread world-wide.